VISUAL SIDE

SNAPSHOT

Chest a bit of fun
Soccer fans in Bristol don masks of England manager Gareth Southgate as they celebrate their nation’s World Cup victory over Sweden.
Image:
Ed Sykes/Reuters

Six things about SA you need to know

Cops must probe VBS graft, bribery allegations: DA

The Democratic Alliance is calling for the police to investigate allegations of bribery and corruption at VBS Mutual Bank. DA finance spokesman Alf Lees said the party had noted the damning reports on Sunday of how VBS directors and their shareholder‚ Vele Investments‚ had allegedly defrauded the bank of more than R1.5-billion. “The details of the large-scale corruption form part of an affidavit by VBS curator‚ Anoosh Rooplal. VBS directors allegedly paid millions of rand in bribes to politicians and top executives at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA and the Public Investment Corporation in efforts to facilitate the deposit of public monies into the bank‚” Lees said. He said these were damning allegations and that all those who had enriched themselves must be investigated by the SAPS and face the full force of the law.

'VBS paid R5m bribe to PIC executive'

An oversized suitcase stuffed with R5-million was flown to Johannesburg in a helicopter and handed to a Public Investment Corporation executive as a bribe from VBS, according to an affidavit by the broke bank’s former head of treasury. In the affidavit Phophi Mukhodobwane says he received R10-million for his part in defrauding VBS of just more than R1.5-billion, and spent R6.5-million of it on a Ferrari. Mukhodobwane told VBS curator Anoosh Rooplal he delivered the R5-million to Tshifhiwa Matodzi, chairman of VBS holding company Vele Investments, who told him it was for a senior PIC executive “so that we could receive swift support with regard to bank funding ... [what] was needed”. The affidavit lays bare the full extent of the deception and trickery that led to a liquidity crisis at VBS, including how executives at rail agency Prasa received bribes to invest R1-billion with VBS and how middlemen were paid to convince municipalities to invest funds with the bank.

Deadline extended for comment on Mining Charter

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has announced the deadline extension from July to the end of August on the second day of a summit on the Mining Charter in Boksburg‚ Gauteng. “We all agreed here that extending the period of public comment by a month will do no harm‚” he said. “But people must not wait for August 30 to make a submission‚ please.” According to the new draft Mining Charter‚ mining companies have five years to increase black economic empowerment ownership to 30%‚ and black South Africans must constitute 50% of board members‚ 20% of whom must be black women. The 50% black representation is carried down through the organisation to executive and senior management. For junior-level management‚ the target is set at 70%.

Eight arrested over Cape gang violence

Western Cape police believe they have made inroads in their fight against gang violence with the arrest of eight suspects and seizure of two firearms. Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said the Paarl public order police were called out to a complaint on Friday involving a shooting between gang members. “Members found four men between 16 and 46 years old‚ and a Rossi .38 special unlicensed firearm with three live rounds of ammunition. These were seized‚” she said. In another incident on Friday night police from Cloetesville arrested four suspects for the illegal possession of a firearm. Police on patrol spotted suspects throwing a black object out of their vehicle. This turned out to be a Vekto pistol with three 9mm rounds of ammunition. The four suspects‚ aged between 19 and 34‚ were arrested. All the suspects will appear in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

'Thy kingdom won’t be expropriated': Ramaphosa

Land under the control of the Ingonyama Trust will not be expropriated, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. Speaking to ANC supporters in KwaDukuza yesterday after meeting King Goodwill Zwelithini, Ramaphosa said he had assured the Zulu monarch a report recommending the trust be scrapped was not government policy. “I said to the king as the ANC we have no intention whatsoever to ever touch the land under the Ingonyama Trust. The recommendation by the high-level panel [remains] a recommendation of the panel ... we are not going to dissolve the trust. The expropriation of land without compensation is not targeting the 13% of land under the control of traditional leaders. Communal land is going to continue to be under the control of traditional leaders.”

Explosive devices detonate near Durban July

In the latest in a string of bombings in Durban‚ explosive devices were planted and detonated on the fringes of the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday night. This follows the bombing of Woolworths stores at the Gateway and Pavilion malls last week. Police spokeswoman Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed that explosive devices had been detonated in and among parked cars on Gladys Mazibuko [Marriott] Road and on Avondale Road, a stone’s throw from the Greyville Racecourse and thousands of July revellers. “At Marriott Road just after 10pm a device was found under a vehicle. No injuries were reported. The second incident took place at Avondale and Milner roads after 11pm after an unknown device exploded on a vehicle. The explosives unit members went to the scene to investigate what type of devices were used. Investigations are still continuing.”

SNAPSHOT

Some heavy lifting
Spectators find an unusual way of getting a good view of the Tour de France on Sunday.
Image:
Stephane Mahe/Reuters

SIX THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD YOU NEED TO KNOW

Japan drowning in flash floods

The death toll from record rains that have devastated parts of Japan rose on Sunday to at least 57, as rescue workers and troops struggled in the mud and water to save lives. The toll is expected to rise significantly. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned of a “race against time” to rescue flood victims, some of whom have resorted to tweeting desperate messages seeking help from emergency services. The torrential downpours have caused flash flooding and landslides across central and western Japan. Over two million people have been told to evacuate. - AFP

Darwin was an animal-rights campaigner

For a scientist who spent much of his career capturing and killing animals for his collections, you may assume Charles Darwin had few scruples when it came to how they died. But new documents which are coming up for sale at Sotheby’s later this month show Darwin was a kind-hearted animal rights activist who campaigned for the abolition of steel traps. In the 19th century it was common for gamekeepers to use traps to keep vermin under control, but they could be lethal for larger animals like dogs, foxes and deer which became ensnared. – The Daily Telegraph

Filipino mayors gunned down at alarming rate

Philippine authorities were Sunday investigating the brazen killing of a vice mayor near Manila, the third deadly attack by gunmen against local officials in less than a week. The country has a violent, often deadly political culture, but watchdogs are concerned President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war may be emboldening assailants. Police said there was no clear connection between the slaying on Saturday of another vice mayor, Alexander Lubigan, and the killings of two mayors just days before. However Wilnor Papa, Philippine spokesperson for Amnesty International, said that while political violence was not new, “Duterte has aggravated it through his pronouncements”. – AFP

'Hat industry would've died without Queen'

Queen Elizabeth II has single-handedly kept the hat industry in business, according to legendary milliner Philip Treacy. Treacy said she had “kept hats alive in the imagination of people all over the world”, ensuring their survival even as most of her subjects largely abandoned them. Now, he said, young women are choosing to wear hats again as they come back into fashion as an accessory of “rebellion”. “If the Royal Family chose not to wear hats - let's say in the 60s and 70s when some people gave up on them - I wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation with you,” Treacy said. – The Daily Telegraph

Germany shocked by brazen anti-Semitic attack

German police arrested 10 people on Sunday over an anti-Semitic attack in a Berlin park. Both victim and suspects are Syrians. The group, aged between 15 and 25, including three women, were detained. Police said the victim had approached the group in a park to borrow a lighter, but his cigarette was snatched away. The 25-year-old was wearing a chain with a star of David, which was ripped from the victim’s neck by one of the men, while spewing “anti-Semitic insults”. The attacker allegedly repeatedly punched the victim in the face, before fleeing. - AFP

Chinese lantern nearly kills horse

A UK horse was set on fire and lost most of its tail after being hit by a Chinese lantern. Point-to-point star Bastante was also left with a foot-long gaping wound on her leg after she bolted through a wire fence in. Her owner, Sarah Sladen, said it was disgusting that the lanterns were still allowed: "These things should be outlawed, it is as simple as that.” The horse was seen by a vet, and is recovering. Her owner said she hopes there are no long-lasting effects. Many have argued that the lanterns are a danger to wildlife, especially during hot weather, as they can cause wildfires. – The Daily Telegraph